Denatured alcohol containing a chloroethylene



Patented Apr. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE DENATURED ALCOHOL CONTAINING A CHLOROETHYLENE N Drawing. Application October 14, 1937, Serial No. 168,975

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the denaturing of I ethyl alcohol, and to alcohol so denatured.

It is an object of my invention to provide a denaturant which will render ethyl alcohol con- 5 taining it unfit for use as a beverage, which cannot be economically removed. from the alcohol by any known methods, which will not render the alcohol unfit for industrial uses in which denatured alcohol has customarily been employed, and which will be free from methanol. Other objects will hereinafter appear.

I have discovered that a chlorine-substituted ethylene selected from the group consisting of dichloroethylene and trichloroethylene is an effective denaturant for alcohol. In denaturing ethyl alcohol with my novel denaturants, I may use from 0.5 to 5 parts of the chlorine-substituted ethylene, or even more, per 100 parts of 95% ethyl alcohol.

- My novel denaturants may be used alone in denaturing, or they may be used in conjunction with denaturing materials derived from the destructive distillation of hardwood, such as those which are described in my U. S. Patents 1,975,090; 1,975,091, and 1,975,092. Like these hardwood denaturants, dichloroethylene and trichloroethylene form azeotropes with ethyl alcohol. While I may use a mechanical mixture of the chlorine-substituted ethylene with the hardwood denaturants, I prefer to introduce the chlorinesubstituted ethylene, along with the hardwood denaturant oils, into the upper portions of a bubble-cup fractionating column, where they are met by the ascending vapors of ethyl alcohol or of a mixture of ethyl alcohol and denaturing grade isopropanol, in the manner which is fully set forth in my Patent 1,975,091. The proportions in which the chlorine-substituted ethylene may be used may vary widely. 1

As illustrative examples, I may introduce into the column, in metered proportions:

Example I Per cent by volume 95% ethyl alcohol 21.0 Denaturing grade isopropanol 10.0

Light acid nil 2.0 Washed alcohol oil 3.0 Allyl alcohol fraction 1.5 Neutral nil 2.5 Aldol 10.0 Ethyl aceta 30.0 Trichloroethylene 20.0

Eatample II Per cent by volume ethyl alcohol 51.0 Denaturing grade isopropanol 10.0 Light acid oil 2.0 Washed alcohol oil 3.0 Allyl alcohol fraction s 1.5 Neutral oil 2.5 Aldol 10.0 Trichloroethylene 20.0

Example III Per cent by volume Ethyl alcohol 49.25 Isopropyl alcohol 10.00 Light acid and washed alcohol oils 4.25 Allyl alcohol fraction 11.50 Wood turpentine 1.50 Neutral oil from hardwoods 3.50 Aldol 10.00 Trichloroethylene 20.00

The light acid and washed alcohol oil and the allyl alcohol fraction referred to are described in my U. S. Patent 1,975,091. Neutral oil is made by adding a 15% solution of sodium hydroxide to hardwood creosote oils and separating the wood oils which are insoluble in the sodium hydroxide solution. The separated oil is then given a vacuum distillation to stabilize it to a lemon-yellow color.

From 0.5 to 5 parts, or even more, of such a combination as those described above may be used per parts of 95% alcohol. My novel denaturants may also be used with aldehydes, and with any other denaturants with which they may be found to be compatible.

What I claim as my invention and desire to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Industrial ethyl alcohol denatured with 0.5 to 5 parts of a chlorine-substituted ethylene selected from the group consisting of dichloroethylene and trichloroethylene, as an essential denaturing element, per 100 parts of 95% alcohol.

2. Industrial ethyl alcohol denatured with 4.5 to 5 parts of dichloroethylene, as an essential denaturing element, per 100 parts of 95% ethyl alcohol.

3. Industrial ethyl alcohol denatured with 0.5 to 5 parts of trichloroethylene, as an essential dematuring element, per 100 parts of 95% alcohol.

LOUIS J. FIGG, JR. 

